Bail petition dismissed: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a bail application by a retired army officer arrested in connection with the shooting of a 13-year-old Dilson in Chennai on June 3.

Dilson was shot dead when he was plucking almonds at the Officers’ Enclave, Flag Staff House Road. K.Ramaraj, a retired army Lt.Colonel, was arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

The ex-serviceman said he had been made a scapegoat in the case and was now languishing in jail. There were improbabilities and unbelievable elements in the police case.

The prosecution submitted that there was no question of shielding any officer and making the accused a scapegoat. The prosecution relied upon forensic and other circumstantial evidence.

Justice G.Rajasuria said the trial court was seized of the matter. It is expected to conduct the trial as expeditiously as possible. The High Court could not hurry. Also, the victim side was on the lower stratum of society and the accused on the higher social stratum. If the accused was released on bail, there was likelihood of his hampering the investigation and tampering with witnesses.

All the political parties of Tamil Nadu have called for the most stringent action against the accused, with many of them calling for capital punishment on the disgraced ex army officer.